Le Petit Hôtel: A Small Old Montreal Hotel with a Grand Design

It’s always full, and there’s good reason – this appropriately named little hotel in Old Montreal is an affordable option that doesn’t skimp on high design. Owned by the Antonopoulos Group, which also runs the Hôtel Nelligan and Le Place d’Armes Hotel & Suites, Le Petit Hôtel boasts an economical use of space in the common areas but nice roomy guestrooms dressed up in warm earthy colours by the Montreal hotel and restaurant design firm Camdi Design. We spoke to President and Art Director Pierre Brousseau about his vision for this petite property…

What was you role on the project? We did all the interior design, including the rooms, the common spaces and the restaurant. We designed everything bespoke. We always seek everlasting designs at Camdi; we don’t aim at trendy, we aim at eternal.

What was your overall vision for the Petit Hôtel? It’s a small space, as the name claims, so we wanted to create a New York hotel feel, with a little reception counter, a small waiting room, a little bar, and a salon that transforms from breakfast nook to cocktail area depending on the need, But the guestrooms remains a very conformable size. It’s a hotel with a very human scale.

How did you design in the guestrooms? We used a lot of dark chocolate wood, with quite a modern design for the bedding. We added a contemporary touch with a bright orange chain and ceramic and mosaic tile in the bathroom. The palette revolves around earth colours.

How did you approach the common spaces? The reception area is very narrow, so we created a beautiful wood wall behind the desk to hide the staircase going up to the first floor; we also created a decorative niche and an illuminated bar. We designed a couple of fun chairs and an outsized standing lamp. We have stone and brick walls, as per the Old Montreal cachet. We worked with mirrors to widen the space and to open it up onto the adjoining breakfast salon.

What’s your favourite spot in the hotel? I really love the high-backed chairs across from the front desk – it’s the perfect spot to watch people come and go. I’m a voyeur.

What’s the first thing you’d recommend that visitors to Montreal do? There’s everything here for a good time. Go to Méchant Bœuf – for the vibe, the music, it’s amazing. Or go to Bevo for after-work cocktails. It’s jumping!

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